U.S.S. Valor looks for more smooth sailing in G1 Champagne
Team Valor International’s Kentucky homebred U.S.S. Valor was a no-doubt winner of a last-out maiden at Saratoga Race Course, and will look to build upon that effort in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile for juveniles, at Belmont Park.
The Champagne [Race 8] offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in October at Keeneland, and is one of six graded events on Saturday’s loaded 11-race program. The card also features three additional “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 7, the Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim [Juvenile Turf] in Race 11 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint] in Race 10 to go with the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette [Race 9], a Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” race that offers the top-three with entry credits to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Those events are supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Matron in Race 6. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
The Champagne also awards the top-five finishers 10-5-3-2-1 respective qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs.
U.S.S. Valor enters the Champagne off a 13 1/4-length trouncing of a seven-furlong maiden on September 5 at Saratoga Race Course, where he dazzled with his pacesetting effort when dueling for the early lead through the first quarter-mile and drawing off with ease to win geared down under Manny Franco in a final time of 1:22.04. He earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of any juvenile this year, and eight points higher than the second-best figure, earned by the filly Summer Starlet in the Grade 1 Spinaway on the same card at the Spa.
The effort came on the heels of a promising debut on August 8 at the Spa, landing a three-quarter-length third in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden that was won by returning rival Gaudreau with impressive next-out maiden-winner Coach Pope finishing a neck better than U.S.S. Valor for second. There, U.S.S. Valor emerged from the inside post and rallied from sixth-of-8 with a strong late foot after being steadied at the five-sixteenths.
McGaughey said U.S.S. Valor was ready to run first out, and gained valuable experience in that effort.
“I think he was [ready], but I didn’t want to run him three-quarters [6 1/2 furlongs], I just wanted to run him. Then he drew the one post, so I thought it was a very good learning experience,” McGaughey said. “He came out of it really good and obviously he ran very well the next time. I was expecting him to run good, but I didn’t expect him to run like that.”
The son of War of Will – who now stands in New York at Rockridge Stud – has impressed his connections since his days as an early 2-year-old learning the ropes at Barry Eisaman’s farm in Williston, F.L.
“He’s always been pretty straightforward,” McGaughey said. “A friend of mine broke him in Kentucky and then we sent him to Barry Eisaman and he said, ‘this horse is OK.’ We picked him up and he’s been forward ever since.”
The bay colt has worked back twice over the Belmont main track since his maiden win, breezing a half-mile in 48.66 seconds on September 19 and the same distance in 49 flat on September 25.
“He worked excellent and I couldn’t ask for any more,” McGaughey said.
McGaughey enters the Champagne in strong Belmont form, having already won 3-of-6 starts since the return to racing on September 18.
“It’s exciting,” the veteran conditioner said. “Obviously we’ve gotten off to a good start and hopefully we can continue that.”
Franco returns to the irons from post 5.
U.S.S. Valor will face a rematch with the well-regarded Gaudreau [post 3, Flavien Prat], who makes his first appearance since the aforementioned maiden win on August 8 for five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown.
Campaigned by Tanglewood Thoroughbreds, Thirty Year Racing, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Rodeo Creek Racing, Laura Leigh Stable and Swift Thoroughbreds, the son of Nyquist showed early speed under Flavien Prat and pressed the pace set by Bellissimo d’Oro, who marked the opening quarter-mile in 22.38 over the fast footing.
Gaudreau was asked for his best through the half-mile in 45.23 and kicked clear straightening for home, digging in gamely to stave off the late rush of Coach Pope and U.S.S. Valor in a final time of 1:16.41. Gaudreau earned an 89 Beyer for the win. Eighth-place finisher Hemingway also exited that race to graduate when switched to the turf on September 6 at Kentucky Downs.
Gaudreau remained at Saratoga with a focus on this race, and posted his final breeze on September 26 when covering a half-mile in 49.83 over the Oklahoma dirt training track. He was expected to arrive at Belmont Park on Sunday.
"That was one of those key Saratoga races for sure,” Brown said. “He's doing well and had his final piece of work in Saratoga. We're looking forward to running him back here and that's been the plan all along.”
The Louisiana-bred was a $220,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-placed Congrats mare Free Cover, a full-sister to stakes-placed Victory is Sweet.
Brown praised the physical makeup of the bay colt, who is named for the late seven-time NHL All-Star Johnny Gaudreau.
“He's a good-looking horse, typical of the sire - he throws good horses and really stamps them, and he's no different, this fellow,” Brown said. “Athletic, strong, good-moving horse. Always trained really well."
Ribble Farms, Three Brand Racing, and Walmac Farm’s Club Reign [post 4, Edgard Zayas] was also eye-catching in his debut this summer at Saratoga. Three Brand Racing is the nom de course of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, who was at the Spa for the maiden score along with his Grammy Award-winning wife Ciara and their family.
There, Club Reign pressed the early pace under returning rider Edgard Zayas and drew off with ease in a six-furlong sprint on August 29 to win by six lengths in a final time of 1:11.27 and earn a 73 Beyer.
Trained by Whit Beckman, the son of Core Beliefs was a $475,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the stakes-placed Bernardini mare Bag of Tricks, a half-sister to dual stakes-winner I’m Stoked. He has breezed twice since his maiden win, and covered a half-mile in 49.37 over Belmont's Tapeta on September 27.
Amo Racing USA’s Earth Song [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] aired in his September 7 debut at Monmouth Park, cantering home an 11 1/4-length winner against two rivals after overcoming a slow break to press the pace and drawing off with ease in a final time of 1:10.43 under Daniel Centeno. He earned a 73 Beyer in victory.
Trained by Jorge Delgado, the Justify colt is a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Further Ado, who recently finished a half-length second to The Puma in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. Earth Song was a $250,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the Grade 3-placed Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer. He is cross-entered in Saturday’s Rocky Run at Delaware Park.
Completing the field are the stakes-placed Raku [post 2, Paco Lopez], who was a nose second last out in the two-turn mile Sapling on September 5 at Monmouth for trainer Kelly Breen; and the Antonio Arriaga-trained maiden-winner Johnny Hockey [post 1, Katie Davis], who is also named for Johnny Gaudreau.
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